Friday, April 17, 2009

Beverage of the Bards?

It seems like most writers and editors work with a cup of coffee at hand. Not all, I know. But for the most part aren’t writer-types and coffee like peanut butter and jelly? And if writer-types don’t drink it, they still probably enjoy a coffee-shop atmosphere. (I realize I’m making generalizations here, so forgive me if you’re reading this and it doesn’t describe you at all; just leave a comment and tell us why not!)

I didn’t start liking coffee until college, even though my mom teased me long before then that it would “make a woman out of me” as her mother, my Mema, used to say. Now, I wouldn’t describe myself as a coffee addict—I’ll live if I don’t have it every day—but I do enjoy a frequent good cup of it or some other coffee-based drink. And I especially love spending time in coffee shops.

So in honor of what I’m calling the beverage of the bards, following are some fun quotes about coffee. Enjoy, and once you’re done reading, leave a comment about your favorite beverage and/or coffee shop.

Happy Friday!

A morning without coffee is like sleep. ~Author Unknown

I believe humans get a lot done, not because we're smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee. ~Flash Rosenberg

As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold. ~Author Unknown

Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after. ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee. ~Author Unknown

Way too much coffee. But if it weren't for the coffee, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever. ~David Letterman

Coffee is the common man's gold, and like gold, it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility. - Sheik Abd-al-Kadir

Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven. ~Jessi Lane Adams

Caffeine isn't a drug, it's a vitamin! ~Author Unknown

Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee. ~Stephanie Piro

It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity. I bet this kind of thing does not happen to heroin addicts. I bet that when serious heroin addicts go to purchase their heroin, they do not tolerate waiting in line while some dilettante in front of them orders a hazelnut smack-a-cino with cinnamon sprinkles. ~Dave Barry

22 comments:

Erica Vetsch said...

I love the coffee shop atmosphere, though I can't drink coffee. Love the smell, hate the taste.

However, I've recently developed a deep and abiding affection for Earl Grey tea. I'm convinced it helps me generate words on my WIP. :)

The upside is, it's half the price of coffee at Caribou Coffee.

Cecelia Dowdy said...

Mmmm. Coffee! I drink it everyday! I'm lost without my coffee. I drink it when I roll out of bed between five and six AM. Every day I consume about the equivalent of two or three cups (a large-sized serving at most coffee shops/restaurants.) I don't go to coffee shops much, though. I feel that places like Starbucks are overpriced. I usually drink Maxwell House, Folgers, or whatever's on sale.
One time I rolled out of bed, put my coffee into the filter, put water in the maker, turned it on...nothing. My coffeemaker was broken! I had to drive to Starbucks, just as they were opening, to get my morning java! That night I went to Kmart to get a new coffee maker! Great topic!

Susan Page Davis said...

Give me tea, please, Joanne, but not Earl Grey. British Blend from Tetley is good or anything chai. Erica, weird as it sounds, my daughter Megan in England sent me a recipe for Earl Grey Cookies, which I will gladly share with you if you want it.
Susan

Annie said...

Here at Barbour, there's a group of us with finely tuned palates who enjoy tall mugs of half coffee half cappuccino from our lovely machine in the break room.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a coffee drinker--if I need a shot of caffine, just hand me a Coke over ice.

But I do love the memories that the smell of coffee bring back to me; my parents' house; my dad fixing the coffee maker before running out to get the paper; the bubbling of the brew; the aroma as I curl up in the corner of the couch with a blanket.

Patty Smith Hall

Elizabeth Ludwig said...

LOLOL!! Love that first one. And I have to say, if given the choice between coffee and sleep...well, I'm awake, ain't I?

Helen Gray said...

Sometimes I feel like the world's biggest misfit. I HATE coffee. Can't stand the taste or smell of it. But I exist on frequent doses of Classic Coke--not the diet stuff!

Helen

CatMom said...

Great post, JoAnne!! I confess I am a true "coffeeholic" - - I drink it all day and into the night. In fact, I go to bed at night with a mug of coffee on my nightstand (love to sip it while I read!). If you stopped in at my house ANYtime between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., there would be hot coffee waiting to be poured! When I've had surgeries we've joked about me having coffee in my IV - - LOL! ~ I loved those coffee quotes (and that sign) you shared - - THANKS!! Patti Jo (typed while I'm sipping coffee!) :)

Vickie McDonough said...

Would you believe I've never had a cup of coffee? I don't like it at all and don't understand the attraction to it.

I will admit to enjoying my caffeine cold-as in an ice-cold Coke.

It's my theory that one day all the coffee and soft drinks with caffeine will suddenly be unavailabe. Two days afterwards, someone will march in and take over the U.S. while all the Americans are in bed with severe headaches from their missing cafeine. :)

Aaron McCarver said...

Helen feel like a misfit no longer! I also do not like the smell of coffee. I have to confess that I have actually never tasted it. I can't get past the smell. I have tried mocha flavored candy and ice cream and disliked both so I assume I will not like coffee. Also most people say it smells better than it tastes so... Gilbert Morris would always say that writers had to drink coffee. When he found out I didn't he said that everyone had to have at least one fault. I'm not much for tea either. If I drink it, I want it the Southern way--cold and extremely sweet. My favorite drinks are Dr. Pepper, especially Cherry Vanilla DP, and hot chocolate, especially dark chocolate. Those soothe and comfort me!

Anonymous said...

I'm a long-time coffee drinker, and enjoy Yuban Dark Roast for brewing at home. I love getting together with friends at nearby coffee shops. That's my idea of a great time!

Wonderful topic! :)

Carrie Turansky said...

I am a tea girl, too, though I do enjoy the coffee shop atmosphere and the smell. I just never got into the habit of drinking coffee. My new favorite tea is Good Earth sweet and spicy herbal tea. I also like Constant Comment. Barnes and Noble Cafe is one of my favorite spots to have my tea and people watch.

Janet Spaeth said...

Coffee is the elixir of life. I love it. I'm a Starbucks latte fan, esp. gingerbread (thus the name of my blog) or pumpkin spice. Erica, we have Caribou here too but I prefer Starbucks lattes.

We brought Tasters Choice instant to Paris and now whenever I have it, I'm immediately transported back. I have it every morning!

It's not an either/or thing for me with tea. I live on iced tea (unsweetened, please!) in the summer, hot tea in the fall and winter, and Constant Comment when I have a sore throat or upset tummy.

But coffee keeps me going!

Debby Mayne said...

Those quotes are hilarious!

I LOVE my coffee. It can be Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, home-brewed, or instant--doesn't matter. It's all good. I like it black, flavored, or with cream and sugar.

Tea is good, too. I especially like herbal tea of any flavor.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I'm so glad to see that I no longer have to feel that I'm such a misfit for not liking coffee. My husband doesn't drink it either. Only one of my three children drinks it, the youngest one--who was a high school coach and an MP in Iraq, Gitmo, and Korea. I think he learned to eat and drink about anything in those places!

We drink iced tea with our meals. I'm the only one in the family who sweetens it--lightly.

I've headed for school many a morning with a coke in my cup holder. Now that i'm retired, I drink it to wake me up, relax me, any excuse handy.

Helen

Mary Connealy said...

I drink coffee only to be sociable. I love sitting with a cup of coffee visiting with someone but I would NEVER make a cup of coffee for myself to drink alone.
I drink a diet Coke every morning on my way to work. I know, I'm a wild woman.
I am completely in love with Tetleys tea and Twining Tea. Earl Gray, Lady Great, English Breakfast, I'm not too picky. I usually drink a cup of decaf tea late in the evening. No caffeine after six p.m. I'm such an insomniac I'm completely terrified of anything perky at night.

I LOVE the little drawstring tea bags Tetley has, every time I use one I think that they are geniuses and deserve success for that tea bag patent and commit to drinking even more of it.

I sometimes look at it and think, "build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door."
And when I think that, then the little tea bag sort of LOOKS like a mouse and it's a horrible thing.

Elizabeth Ludwig said...

LOL! All roads lead to mouse, eh, Mary?

Unknown said...

Is there anything better than Starbucks? Especially if it's in a bookstore? I love getting me a Vente-sized Mocha Frappocino and browsing the aisles or finding a book on an exotic country and sitting a spell.

Martha W. Rogers said...

I'm with Erica. Love the smell of coffee, but hate the taste. I do indulge in a Skinny Vanilla Latte from Starbucks on occasion and lace it with LOTS of cinnamon.

I do like the coffee shop atmosphere and the aromas. For my morning wake-up I have some type of green tea or vanilla chai while I do my Bible study and prayer journaling.

If I must drink coffee from some reason, I choose Sugar Free International French Vanilla with lots of cinnamon.

Side note: I made coffee once for my dh when we first married. He never let me near the coffee pot again. :)

Unknown said...

Coffee, coffee, coffee. Love it! It's my kick start for the day.
I love my little coffee shop tucked away, in a small corner in the Books-a-million store in Gadsden, Alabama. I go there once a week; with laptop in my tote, purchase my coffee,and read from all of my favorite sites.(The Edit Cafe)is one of them.
Now that's a perfect day!

Janelle said...

I firmly believe 50 percent of my blood is coffee. Take that out and my blood will be scrambling to make up the difference. Which is probably why I get tired in the afternoon, since I rarely drink coffee after noon. I also like my sleep. But a good cup of coffee is definitely my drink of choice. It's the first thing that gets made in the morning.

Becky said...

Wow! the topic of coffee can sure bring out the passionate comments.

I have always loved the smell of coffee and enjoyed coffee candy. My grandpa was a coffee drinker, as were my parents. I remember feeling grown up just being able to bring them a cup of joe. Dad liked coffee soup (coffee, sugar, and milk over toast) when he was feeling sick.

It wasn't until I had been an editor a few years and was going to my first Mount Hermon conference that Colleen Coble and Kristin Billerbeck took it as their task to introduce me to drinking coffee. I always thought it too bitter to drink. It started with a Caramel Macchiato, I believe. I began drinking sweet coffee then. When I started to worry about the calories and then about the artificial sugars, I taught myself to drink it black. Now I drink black coffee more often than I do the sweetened kinds. And I can't get to noon without a cup.

I grind my own beans and even taught myself to make the very best iced coffee at home.

Coffee isn't just a drug -- it's artwork. LOL